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Monday, August 27, 2012

So ... I wrote a bit of a poem for a contest in the Goodreads MM group contest for the anniversary. I was picked for the day I posted my common letter poem for the grand prize contest. Members can vote on the different poems and right now I'm in 2nd! Some of the different forms and poems written are really great, from moving and sweet to downright raunchy!

Take a peek here, and if you like mine (I wrote as Alicia) give it a click to vote on it!!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Hi folks! I thought today, you'd like a sneak peek at an upcoming story I'll have coming out next month on GA. This is titled The Legend is the Key. Enjoy!!

Nyle looked all around him as the horses wearily plod down the main street to the castle. Scorch marks on buildings and the look of fear on the peasant’s faces shocked him.

“What happened here?” he asked a young guard beside him. Maybe he would be a little less tight lipped than the captain.

“There was an attack on the castle by Hinderland soldiers."

Nyle gasped. “Was anyone in the royal family killed?”

Grim expression covered every face of the guards surrounding him. He knew that someone had. “Who was it? Was it the … King?”

“Nay. Not the king, but the prince.”

Nyle felt a bolt of pain strike him. It took him many long moments to master his shock and find his voice. “Why did you not tell me this before?” His hands gripped the reins so hard they ached. It hurt to speak calmly.

Kenhelm was dead? Childhood affection had settled into something more in Nyle’s heart; time and distance no barrier to the love he felt for his best friend. It took all his acolyte training to hide the sorrow and agony beneath a mask of calm. He could not risk losing it or his secret could be revealed.

“We were ordered to keep it quiet. The King doesn’t want anyone outside the city to know. There are things going on beyond this attack. We were bade to fetch you to help with them," the captain said. He glared at the soldier next to Nyle who clamped his mouth shut.

“Prince Elden wants my help?”

“Nay, Prince Elden perished in the attack. You were summoned by Prince Kenhelm.”

Shock and relief took the place of the pain in his heart as soon as Nyle realized that his friend still lived. He took deep breaths, pushing back the nausea he felt from the sudden surge in his emotions that stirred a deep well inside him.

He kept his face serene, the long years of training once again helping him hide the turbulent feelings swirling inside him.

“Heradotus cradle Prince Elden on his passage to the afterlife. I shall render prayers of thanksgiving that the Prince Kenhelm and the King yet live.”

The guards fell silent, respecting Nyle’s silence as he began the cantas silently. The rest of the journey through the city went by quickly. Before he had a chance to clean up Nyle was rushed by a chamberlain from his horse straight to the audience chamber and before the king.

“Your Majesty.” Nyle knelt before the king and bowed his head.

“Rise, Acolyte.” The king studied his face. “You have grown into a man in the years away from court, Nyle.”

Nyle fought an unmaly blush and inclined his head. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I live to serve you and the gods.”

“In this time of strife, the Crown has need of you. We do not know when you will be able to return to your studies to join the priesthood, lad.”

Nyle spread his hands wide. “I will use what skills I possess for as long as you need me, Your Higness. Service to you is service to the gods as their chosen representative. I can think of no greater honor.”

The king leaned forward on his chair. He looked tired and much older than Nyle remembered. “We appreciate your loyalty. The Prince Kenhelm lies gravely injured but before he fell unconscious he spoke of a map and a legend you two found as boys within Elden’s things. This is what we believe the Hinderland soldiers were seeking. They slaughtered Elden and his pregnant wife in their bed and ransacked his room. Another contingent attacked my quarters but were repelled by the guard. We do not know where this map is hidden, nor what it contains as Kenhelm has yet to wake.

"We are soon to be locked in a difficult situation if Kenhelm cannot be brought back. We need to find out what this map is and what it leads to as well. Without it, we cannot stop the attacks that will only come again. You are our best hope for both."

Nyle felt the weight of the king's expectations resting on his shoulders. He stiffened his spine, standing up straight as he took a deep breath. "I shall do my best, Your Majesty." He closed his eyes as he bowed low, a silent prayer in his mind to Heradotus that he was strong enough to carry them.

The king sat back in his chair and waved for a guard to come forward. The man led Nyle to Kenhelm's chambers, though he didn't need to. Nyle remembered the way, years of running from his chambers to the Prince's couldn't be forgotten. There were guards standing outside the room and when Nyle entered and saw who was on the bed, he immediately knelt.

"Your Majesty," he said, bowing before the queen. She was swathed in a black lace veil but he would recognize her long dark curls anywhere. Two ladies in waiting sat on a settee while the queen sat next to Kenhelm. He rose as she said his name.

"Nyle. You're finally here." The queen stood and went over to him, enveloping him in an embrace. Nyle smiled down at the petite woman, the only mother figure he ever remembered having. Tears were flowing down her face under her veil, making the lace stick to her cheeks.

"You have to save him Nyle. I can't lose both my sons."

Nyle kissed the back of her hand, squeezing it. "I promise I shall do my best, my lady. Everything I have learned to use in this life I will try until he is once again well."

The queen nodded in understanding. She knew the traitorous secret that he had shared with only one other person in the world and that person was now lying next to death in the bed at their side.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Hey guys! Remember just last week when I posted an interview with Tali Spencer about her first ever published ebook? Well, she's already gotten published again! That's right, Sorceror's Knot is out and for sale! I just ran across Dreamspinner's post on Goodreads.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Of course I'm loving the ongoing The Degan Incident by Robcub. He's been posting on GA and Literotica, but GA's 2 chapters ahead. Woo hoo! He's at 10 out of 12 chapters posted and I can't wait to find out what happens. Chapter 10 left us at an awful cliffhanger but it's oh so good I find myself re-reading up to that point all the time!

A new author I tried out has posted his first ever public chapter on GA this week. I try to support new authors, since we were all there at one point. I remember how I waited with a racing heart to hear what people thought. With a conflicted character pairing, a hot man in a cowboy hat and a fun county fair... I will definitely be keeping tabs on To Move Forward by Randomness!

With many thanks to those who gave me birthday gifts that allowed me to purchase more ebooks last week, three of which I really enjoyed.

By C.B. Conwy, I read A Russian Bear and Alphabet Soup. Both bdsm focused books, they both highlighted different aspects of the lifestyle along with very touching romances. I still can't pick which one I liked more. I think that Tom from A Russian Bear is my favorite character though. He was so open to learning about his particular needs and I enjoyed the honesty with which he approached the bdsm lifestyle.

My favorite ebook of the week as last night's purchase of In Service by Mima. An alternate world/space menage book with a mmfmm grouping, I found the society in this book to be fascinating. The men in the story are all Luo males that are sort of like energy vampires in my mind. What kind of energy? Sexual energy, of course! Malla is an Elite trained to be that energy source for the team, though she doesn't know it. She takes on the challenge of helping Shon's team as they are on the brink of falling apart, even though someone is clearly trying to stop that from happening. Part political intrigue, part interstellar alien war, part romance, LOTS of hot sex... this story was fascinating and kept me up til 3:30 am! The only complaint I had was that the story seemed to wrap up too easily at the end, I'd like to have seen the fallout of the crisis point be as elaborate and involved as the rest of the story. However, that niggling dissatisfaction is a minor quibble and I can't recommend this story enough, as evidenced by my 5 star rating on goodreads.

Anyone have any recommendations for me of books they've read lately? Feel free to comment below!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Hi blog fans, today I have a treat for you! An interview with Tali Spencer with some insight into who she is and how she does what she does (hint, part of that includes what goes on with her sheets!) and look at her newly published e-book, Captive Heart!

﻿

A Little Bit About You

Cia: Are you a person that makes your bed in the morning, or do you not see much point?

I’m a neglectful housekeeper—I could use a maid—but I always make my bed. I do it first thing, even before I shower and even when I’m sick. For one thing, I like having a nice flat surface on which to lay out my clothes. For another, if the dog hops on the bed, she won’t be on the sheets. But the big reason I make the bed is because if I don’t do it then, I won’t do it at all, and then when I climb in bed at night the bed feels, well, kind of stale and melancholy. I like a made bed when I go to bed.

Cia: Single people write more, are you single?

Nope. I’m the most happily married woman on the planet. My husband is the most supportive, amazing man, and one of the great things about our marriage is he is happy to have me stay at home and write. Of course, we both hope that eventually I will earn enough from my writing to buy groceries once in a while. But I know I’m in a different place in my life than many writers: my children are grown. Writing is a heck of a lot harder to find time for if you have young children at home! Trust me, young mothers and fathers, it gets better.

Some more than others. I’m really a cheese and crackers kind of girl. Right now, with fresh summer tomatoes, I’m enjoying lots of those, and strawberries, but not together.

Cia: Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate. But give me a scoop of vanilla and I won’t complain.

About Your Writing

Cia: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in writing?

I never quite know where to begin a story. I tend to start things way before the reader needs the story to begin, building a foundation. Readers don’t need that foundation upfront, even if I do. I almost always have to go back to my beginning scenes and either delete or reinvent them. If anything, I overwrite my stories. My computer has folders filled with scenes and conversations deleted from my books.

Cia: Do you have any writing rituals? Crazy hat you have to wear, spin around three times before you sit down, turn your shirt inside out?

Does that help? I’ll do it! J My ritual consists of getting my husband out the door and brewing a cup of coffee. I kind of need the coffee. And then I fall into my routine: I go to my email and hope to see good news—or mail, for that matter; I check if anyone has visited the old blog; I pay a visit to Facebook (play a little Hidden Chronicles for fun); poke my head in on Twitter, where I occasionally tweet about something or retweet if I think people might find interesting; and then I dig in and figure out what I’m going to write that day. I write in complete silence and take a break for lunch when the poodle gives me a poke with her nose.

Cia: Do your characters try to make like bunnies and create convoluted plots for you, or do you have to coax them out of your characters?

My characters delight in creating plots for me. They burrow into the story and all I have to do is follow along and record their adventures, often spawning more ideas than I can put in the book. A few of them get out of hand and I have to rein them in or promise them their own stories to keep them from acting out. That’s how Captive Heart got written. I wrote a short story, Victory Portrait, in which Gaspar was a minor character, although an emperor, and he wanted his own story. He also informed me he was straight and that he wanted a girl. I never had to coax a story out of him. He completely provided entire scenarios once I gave him Julissa. And so did she! Very enthusiastic, those two, in and out of bed. And you can bet they will breed lots of plots… er, children. Children who will hatch plots.

Cia: Who do you feel has supported you most in your writing? Picking a fictional character is cheating, so make sure it’s someone actually breathing!

A lot of people have supported me. My family is amazing. But the person who has supported me most would be my husband. He’s been my rock every step of the way. He’s my beta reader prime, the first person to read any book I write. Not only is he a wonderfully creative writer himself, he’s a top-notch editor. He’s fearless about pointing out sloppy exposition or unconvincing characterization, for example. And he’s a wizard with commas. I was self-conscious about showing him my erotic work at first, and my poor comma-deprived editors will be happy to know I’ve since gotten him back onboard.

Now that I am publishing romance books—and not the science fiction and fantasy novels I originally was producing—he’s quite smug, because he told me a few years ago that I should be writing erotica and romance, and he was right. This is the man who when I said I wanted to write full time, told me, “Go for it. You’re a good writer and I think you should get your work out in front of readers.” That he is willing to be the breadwinner while I contribute the occasional jar of jelly is critical to any success I might achieve. I try to remember to cook dinner for him at least twice a week.

Cia: What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? (One that didn’t require an extinguisher due to flames) What has been the best compliment?

You mean aside from the literary agent who laughed me off her blog and caused me to enter the author relocation program? I wanted to use a fire extinguisher on her… but I digress. The toughest real criticism my work ever received came from George H. Scithers, who at that time was editor of Weird Tales, and who ripped apart one of my early science fiction stories. He pointed out my dreadful writing habits, shot photon torpedoes through my plot holes, and told me to stop trying so hard to write like all the other writers out there and write like myself. He was the first man to praise my world-building and to tell me I had dreadful dialog. He never bought a story from me, but he sent back comments on all three stories I submitted to him and he taught me to be a better writer. I wish I had met him in person. And the best compliment… came from a reader who told me the world of Uttor was so real she wished she could move into it and meet the people, because the characters spoke to her. I could have died right there as a fulfilled and happy writer.

About Your Book

Cia: Did you have a character you loved to write?

Captive Heart was overrun by characters I loved to write. I’ve already mentioned Gaspar and Julissa, and they’re the main characters, so I spent a lot of time with them and we had the best fun. But I would have to say I had the most fun of all writing one of the minor characters, the Duquessa Hersilia. She’s very old and confident in her opinions. I wrote a conversation between her and Gaspar about the one quality he must have in a bride, and the words just poured onto the page. I barely changed a thing during editing. I love when characters just pop up, fully realized, and drop scenes like that in my lap. Hersilia stopped by again in one of the next books in the series.

Gaspar would want his coffee plain. Julissa would want hers with lots of cream and sugar. But Darius Arrento, Gaspar’s best friend and general, would just chew the beans.

Cia: If your book was made into a movie, who do you picture playing each character’s part?

Oh gosh. I really don’t envision my main characters in terms of any performers I’ve ever seen. I barely know any actors’ names! That said, I would have Maggie Smith play Hersilia. And I would get Chris Hemsworth to play Vallmer. Or Lorant. But Lorant is a villain and I would rather see Hemsworth play Vallmer because I totally had Hemsworth in mind when I was writing Vallmer. Totally.

Cia: What is your favorite scene in your book?

I’m especially fond of the scene where Gaspar learns that Julissa is the sister of his enemy, Lorant—the man who kidnapped Gaspar’s sister and started the war he just wrapped up, a victory he just celebrated by seducing her. It’s this moment of realization on his part and mortification on hers. The first part of the novel all leads up to that moment, and the rest of the novel unfurls from it.

The Requisite Sneak Peek Ahead

Cia: So, what are you writing now? Anything else in the works for publishing?

I have a few stories in the pipeline. Dangerous Beauty, a M/M romance set in Uttor and featuring one of Julissa’s brothers, is with Resplendence now. I’m halfway through, and will soon finish writing, another M/F book in the Uttor series. I don’t have a title for it yet, but it’s the story of Adora, Gaspar’s sister, and her rocky road to romance with Vallmer. She’s absolutely convinced the big blond man is perfect for her, but he doesn’t realize yet that she’s also perfect for him. Her being pregnant might have something to do with that. But I don’t think pregnancy needs to stand in the way of a determined woman getting what she wants. And I’m of course finishing up Thick as Thieves, the M/M sword and sorcery romp I’ve been running on my blog. Vorgell is a giant of a barbarian who took a unicorn horn up the ass and is now a sex-crazed adventurer, and Madd is a witch and thief who has every reason not to cure Vorgell of his affliction. Their story is the most fun I’ve ever written and I hope one of my publishers will give the boys a book.

And I have two more books coming out in the next few weeks. Sorcerer’s Knot, which will be released on August 22nd, is a M/M dark fantasy about an ambitious young wizard, the mysterious sorcerer whose magic he wants to steal at any cost, and… tentacles! The Prince of Winds, a long novella that some readers may have seen for a while on Literotica, is an Arabian Nights flavored story of a young warrior who is captured by—and falls in love with—one of three cursed brothers. It’s being released in September. Both will be available through Dreamspinner Press and I will be having giveaways on my blog and also through a few other venues.

One Last VERY Important Question (This could make or break the interview, so choose wisely!)

Cia: Who do you like best … Tom or Jerry?

Jerry, because he got to dance with Gene Kelly in Anchors Aweigh! How cool is that?

So you can see she gave some great answers to my sometimes bizarre questions, lol! Now, on to the next part ... Captive Heart! Check out this gorgeous cover and the excerpt below, then follow the links and purchase a copy!

A vengeful emperor conquered her country…now he’s after her heart.

Synopsis:

Julissa has only known life as a sheltered princess in Sebboy's opulent but restrictive society, ruled over by strict parents and the righteous Prophets of her god. She is all but destined to a marriage of alliance until her brother kidnaps a foreign princess as his bride, and Julissa's country becomes the target of the girl’s vengeful brother. Gaspar Leonnte may have a big nose and be the subject of ridicule at Julissa's family table, but he doesn't have any trouble conquering Sebboy.

While fleeing the city, Julissa falls into Gaspar's hands and everything she ever knew changes. When a misunderstanding brings Julissa to his bed, the victorious emperor sees no reason not to enjoy his pretty captive for the night. Julissa should refuse him and honor her duty to her family and Prophet, but how can she fight the passion Gaspar awakens… even if doing so might mean her life?

Excerpt:

Julissa pulled back, but Gaspar was stronger. The drapery dividing the tent bumped her arm as it fell into place again behind her. What was she doing here? This man was doing terrible things to her country, and she was trading her compliance piece by piece to secure slivers of his protection for people other than herself. All at once, her actions seemed dreadfully misguided. She was the one whose peril was most certain, not Aurelia in her poppy-strewn sleep or Petraeus whose fate surely rested with their god, at least until such time as Niarchus’ men could reach him.

Helpless, unable to flee a tent guarded by soldiers, far less a camp filled with them, she closed her eyes and prayed for Garmael to illuminate her path.

“Don’t,” Gaspar said. He continued to hold her, his voice a rich vibration upon air that was suddenly too warm, too close. “I must see your eyes.”

She looked up at him, then, and was glad he did not look cruel. His right hand moved to her face, his fingers brushing her cheek. That touch and the provocative hazel of his eyes awakened a heat that poured into her lips and filled the secret wells of her body.

“Chasca, defend me,” she whispered, invoking for a second time the Uttoran protector of virgins.

“Too late for that,” Gaspar said.

He was so near she could no longer see his eyes or the angles of his face. His lips pressed against her hair, traveled to her cheek, his nose caressing her ear to create a cascade of shivers.

“Besides,” his warm voice murmured, “my ancestor suckled at Chasca’s teat and became divine. She’s quite partial to my family. She has us to thank for all her temples.”

In this tent, in this hidden chamber and in the company of this man, all the Prophets were useless, armed only with empty words. When Gaspar’s mouth moved over hers, Julissa gasped at his heat, the way his lips explored hers by lightly tracing the upper, tugging at the ripe fullness of the lower. He felt…experienced. She’d kissed a few men before, but those kisses had been respectful pecks purchased by a gift or a pleasant dance. This kiss respected only her response to him. When she tried to pull away, Gaspar’s hand moved to hold her head so she could not escape his plunder. It wasn’t so bad, really. His lips were firm, but gentle, and tasted faintly of wine. Even the light stubble on his cheek that prickled her skin was more exciting than awful. Tentatively, she answered his kiss, not knowing how. He taught her with lips that gently sucked and teased until he had persuaded hers to open. The touch of his tongue against hers, probing and practiced, tasted like an imperial summons. To her surprise, she answered.

A soft moan escaped her throat.

“Oh.” She caught herself. “Please, I…I don’t want to be used this way.”

“What way? Like this?” He nibbled the junction of her neck and shoulder in a manner that caused her nerves to leap.

Why did he have to smell so good? And the way his cheek rasped her skin awakened a tingling, needy ache in her nipples. Those points of flesh strained toward him with an urgency that alarmed her.

“I—I know what you’re trying to do, and you can’t just—”

“Can’t I?” he disputed, though he smiled. “I promise to use you nicely.”

Gaspar’s lips brushed hers again and his hand seized upon the sheet that, somehow, had survived this far to conceal her body from him. No more. The sheet fell in white folds to the floor. Julissa reached to grab it.

“No,” he said softly.

She was lost, transfixed by the gentle yet commanding timbre of his voice as he stepped back to see what had been hidden. For a moment, his gaze traveled over her with clear admiration, then he breathed just one word.

“Spectacular.”

Something in Gaspar’s tone, something worshipful, convinced her to stand for his perusal. He reached out his right hand, the fingertips just brushing the curve of her left breast, then the dip of her waist, his hand turning to skim the line of her hip. His touch caused her breasts to lift, her nipples to tighten to erect buds. Like some mysterious fruit, her sex blossomed, swollen with hot need, between her legs. To her surprise, she did not tremble. She felt like neither a prisoner nor a slave. She felt…chosen.

“I need no more proof than you that the gods exist,” he said.

With a swiftness and strength that surprised her, Gaspar scooped her off her feet into his arms. The world spun for a moment before she found herself on the bed with Gaspar beside her, clad still in his shirt, trousers and boots. His right thigh nudged between her knees before she could think to close her legs against him. While she squirmed in dismay, he cupped his right hand on the full pale orb of her breast and languidly teased the peak of her nipple, surprising her with the jolt of pleasure his touch awakened. His palm owned her flesh, defined it, before finding equal pleasure in its twin. Something hard and thick pushed urgently against her thigh and she realized with a start it must be his male member.

When she opened her lips to protest, his mouth was again upon hers, his kisses more demanding than before. Hotter, sweeter…so intoxicating her lips sought his. His hand left her breast to fumble with his trousers. What pushed hard against her thigh when he resumed his caresses was fleshy, rigid and hot with demands of its own.

His organ’s hardness terrified her, but thrilled her, too, the way it thrilled her to go off on her own into town, not knowing what she’d find. Like his body, so muscular and unexpected, this man was new to her, unexplored and utterly forbidden. He was also quite skillful at navigating her uncharted swells and hidden places, appraising and handling her like something rare and fine. She quivered at the gentleness with which his hand skimmed her body.

“You have the figure of a goddess, my lovely Magda.”

Her heart lurched at not hearing her own name. “There’s something you should know—”

“Not now.”

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her hard against him, a gesture so possessive it left her stunned. There was no point in not touching him, given the embrace. Julissa placed her hands upon his arms and her fingers encountered the soft linen of his shirt and, beneath it, the hard thick muscles of a robust male. Though she tried to push him away, Gaspar’s right hand continued to explore her contours, her curves, her thighs, leaving delicious trails of sensation wherever he touched. What he awakened in her flesh was like music swelling her blood and it threatened to vibrate her every nerve.

“Sweet Magda,” he growled, and his mouth traced the column of her throat, found the valley of her breasts.

Her nipples felt swollen, almost painfully so, and his lips, when they found one, released the sweetest pulses she had ever known. How wonderful she thought, gasping at such bliss from something her mother had warned her never to allow. She arched her back as his hand abandoned her thighs to caress the full, firm pillows of her breasts. His tongue flicked like flame, each measured moist touch awakening new heat that rippled from her breasts into the core of her belly. When Gaspar’s hand again reached to her thighs to stroke the soft insides leading to her sex, she remembered his intent.

“Please, I—”

“Hush,” he said, and his kiss upon her lips was the command of an emperor.

Whew! Hot, right? You want to know more??? Check out the links below to find out where you can purchase the ebook or find more info about Tali's writing!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Those moments when a story flows comes often after I've been given feedback and validation that the stories I feel the most are appreciated by my fans. To everyone who has ever commented, emailed, or reviewed for me ...

Monday, August 13, 2012

I'm in the process of changing my blog around, and trying to become a bit more consistent in the content I provide to visitors. I want to have a better regimented posting schedule with varied content.

One thing I'm doing is changing the photos I feature on the 'Through My Lens' page each Monday. Those happen to be my pictures, either ones I've taken with my camera or graphics/abstracts that I've made. I've put up some new ones today! With a few thousand waiting in the wings, I should be able to share quite a few of them with you.

I'm always working on writing more on Dade's story, don't worry! There should be another update on that tomorrow.

Let's see ... what else ... I've a few other things coming up this week too. I'll be sharing an interview with an author I really enjoy, Talismania, and featuring her first e-book ever to be published! I'll do a few reviews of ebooks I've read lately, hitting those I've had to pay for, bad me I'd spend thousands a month in books if I could, and a few free stories I've enjoyed! If I can, I'll throw in a writing tip too.

And maybe ... If I'm really lucky (or is that you're really lucky?) I will have another part to Dade's story to share!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Writing a series is all in the details. In many ways, it is like writing a regular story, but more encompassing. It allows you to create a rich world and set of characters to share with your reader. Below are a few tips to help you succeed in creating a series. I incorporated many of these elements in a mm modern fantasy trilogy, Carthera Takeover Tales, that can be found on Gay Authors.

1. Before You Get Started
Pretty much everyone will have read a series of some sort in their lives. Think back over the series that you read and what you liked about it. Do you like stories that are close together in the timeline, without large gaps between stories? Do you like stories that follow years in the future to share more of the character's lives? What other elements did you like? Did the series follow one character or couple? Did it alternate couples but follow the same set of characters? Is the arc through the series following the plot, the characters, or the setting? For example, is the commonality in the story a war? A family featured? A certain town?

2. Details, Details, Details
A series requires that you keep a lot of details straight in your mind. In order to do that, keeping notes is a good idea. Free Mind Map is a good tool that allows you to fold and add links to your research data as well as create a mind map (think of a higher tech bubble diagram program. Bubble.us was also featured here, in a past Fiction Stories Online blog). A friend also mentioned they used ywriter5 to good effect. I also have several sets of character questionnaires that I have on hand to really get to know my characters. PM me if you'd like a copy!

3. Standing Strong, Together and Alone
Every book needs to stand alone in a series, but also contribute to the overall story. The first book allows you to set your plot and characters. The middle stories allow you to explore the world and how and why things happen in it. Cliffhangers can keep readers reading, but each story should have its own arc with an introduction, conflict and resolution. The final story in a series allows you to tie everything together and create a final conclusion.

4. Keeping Up the Suspense
To keep the action moving in the stories, you need to have conflict. I like formula writing myself which involves a set series of steps to create a story arc. One of the main things in a series that I find important is to have an arc that creates an overall 'problem/conflict' for the characters to experience, but they also need a personal arc within each story as well. That way each story has a feeling of resolution to satisfy the reader at the end. It also allows you to focus on the two different plot arcs/conflicts at different points in your novel, to keep it interesting.

5. Remain Dedicated
Set goals, give yourself a writing time requirement daily or weekly, have a friend set to give you a healthy kick in the rear ... just be prepared to work, and work hard! Writing a story is hard, writing a series of stories is even harder! You can't do it unless you're prepared for the time and effort it takes.

Well, those are my tips for writing a series. If you've been considering it, I hope you'll do more than consider it and pick up your pen or word processor, and get started!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

So Dade has been fighting me hard but my beta should have it back so I can post it by tomorrow. In the meantime, to wet your whistle, I thought I'd share a short excerpt from Part 1! I hope you enjoy!!

****

"I ... I'm not so sure about this," I said. I twisted my arms in the straps and tugged.

A tinny voice came over the speakers in the room. "Stay calm, Sergeant Pareano. You signed the paperwork for the program. Just settle down."

I opened my mouth to speak but it was too late. A sharp jolt spiked through my temples from the electrodes. My mouth slammed shut as every muscle in my body went rigid. Then the pain shut off.

"Fuck!"

The taste of blood filled my mouth from the bite on my tongue. "Stop!" I shouted. "That hurt."

"Oh buck up, Sergeant. You are a military man. I'm sure you've endured far worse than a little electricity."

I'd spent weeks being tortured by enemy forces once, but even a nerve tingler didn't hurt as much as what I'd just gone through.

"I changed my mind. I un-volunteer. Let me go."

The door opened and the doctor came back in the room. I shifted in the chair.

"I'm sorry but your agreement cannot be rescinded, Sergeant. Your initial results are the best we have ever seen. With you, we could have our first success." He uncapped a needle he pulled out of his pocket. A yellow fluid filled the syringe.

"Just relax."

"Hey, hey, what's that?" I yanked on the bands, straining as hard as I could. The muscles in my arms bulged.